The Dragon's Fang
by Koyana
Summary: A welder and wielder of swords, Komiko Misuto is captured by a royal family, forced to work in their manor, until a man who's blade was forged by her own father's hands reappears in her life. Zabuza X OC.
1. Slave Girl

Komiko's once sword weilding hands were rubbed raw from the amount of dishes she had done that day. Her once strong back ached from bending over and scrubbing hardwood floors for hours on end. The bottom's of her once soft feet peeled, having no shoes to wear around the manor she lived in, or more so, was slave to.

"Where is that slave girl? I need my kimono picked up for this evening!" Demanded a woman Komiko's age, but with far more status than she had. Stomping her feet loudly against the wooden floors, she started throwing a tantrum to the poor man infront of her that served as her personal attendant, D. It was hard to believe that this woman was twenty, when she acted as if she were five. The only thing that gave away her age were her curves and make up.

The manor was made up of merchants, shinobi, and commoners that had been captured by the Yatzuno clan, and made to be slaves to the royal family in a small, but wealthy village on the outskirts of Kirigakure. Upon entry, the new slaves must discard their names, and have it replaced with a single letter. Slaves were given bright green, long-sleeved shirts and long pants, to stand out like sore thumbs from everyone else, and erase what was once their individuality. It didn't matter where they had come from, because in the end they had all ended up in the same place.

For people like Komiko, with prior shinobi and samurai training, she was given heavy, chakra cuffs to wear on her wrists, that also glowed a bright green. These cuffs were designed to stifle chakra use and weaken the wearer, making it impossible to fight back and rebel against the royal family. The cuffs were also a constant reminder of how she had gotten there in the first place. Komiko shook her head a little, she hated that memory most of all. Hearing Mai's voice, she decided to head over to her. She loathed Mai, but rushed over to the seething girl to save poor D from suffering her ranting any longer. "Here." Komiko replied, looking directly at Mai.

"What did I tell you about looking at me in the eyes? Look down!" Mai's brown eyes met Komiko's blue, seeing her hesitate about looking down, Mai further pressed, "Now!" Reluctantly she looked down at the floor, hands clenching into fists at being degraded. "You need to go pick up my kimono today in town. I need it for a date tonight and it must be here by five o'clock. Oh, K?" Mai then let out a barking laugh, proud of herself for making a joke out of Komiko's one letter slave name. Anger couldn't begin to describe what Komiko felt towards the spoiled brat, but she nodded her head, like the slave that she had become.

Mai skipped away up to her grand room, so she took it as her signal that she was dismissed. D looked at Komiko with pity, so she attempted a small smile to show that she was alright, and didn't need sympathy. With all of her being, she hated Mai. She had it all, a pretty face, beautiful clothing, lithe body, light skin, and on top of it all, formal training in the art of the double sword. This evening she was to go on a date with a handsome man Komiko had seen come to the manor. Riches, looks, love, and she took it all for granted.

As Komiko opened the door to the room she shared with five other female servants, she got ready to go into town. It was her favorite part of this job she had aquired, being the rare time she got to see outside of this manor. The humiliating part was the bright, green uniform she adorned, telling everyone that she was a lowly servant. Looking around the room, there were no beds, only blankets on the floor and a pillow here or there. No dressers, just a few uniforms layed neatly on the floor to whoever needed a fresh one for the day, not everyone got more than one uniform, and no one was stingy.

Bidding the ladies that were in the room a quick goodbye, Komiko met the guards at the gate to gain access to the outside world. Once permitted, she pressed her bare feet onto foreign soil, breathing in what she imagined freedom to feel like. It had been so long, she couldn't exactly remember what it felt like to be free to come and go as she pleased. This was not what she had imagined doing at twenty years old. As she made the trek to town, Komiko thought about her life back in Kirigakure, the one that made her heart ache...

_Komiko stretched her arms and yawned as she was woken up by sunlight pouring through the thin mist infront of her window. Smiling, she got out of bed, and dressed to go greet her parents for breakfast. In the Misuto household, all family was to attend breakfast together, which only included herself, her mother and father. Walking into the dining room, she greeted her mother with a kiss on the cheek, asking, "Where's dad? He's usually here by now."_

_"Your father has been working all evening and still hasn't come home. He's working on that new sword of his. You know him, if he has a client he's taken a liking to, he wont come home for days!" Komiko's mother said laughing. Komiko's father like all of her family before him worked as the swordsmith to the Mizukage's private compilation of swordsmen. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist relied on the family for their swords, praising the Misuto's of the finest work in the nations. Komiko was honored to have been born into such a family, and to take on the responsibility of becoming a swordsmith, working as her father's apprentice._

_Sitting down, Komiko ate her breakfast, excited for the day. Today was going to be the day she would get her tattoo symbolizing her family's crest. At the age of sixteen, she had surpassed most, if not all the swordsmen who resided in the Hidden Mist, including a few of the Seven Swordsmen in the past. She was a force to be reconned with, and her father had decided it was time for her to get her mark and be officially indited to the family's tree. Komiko's face beemed with pride, her blue eyes bright with joy. After breakfast Komiko went to her room to get ready._

_Picking out her best kimono, and brushing her long, black hair she deemed herself ready for this important day. Bidding her mother farewell, she practically ran to the parlor where the man would tattoo her. A dragon winding itself around a sword would be inked from her left shoulder, wrapping itself around her left arm, all the way until the dragon's tail wrapped around her left wrist. Her hand was to be free of any markings; they were to be soley dedicated to the swords she would craft and wield in her lifetime._

_The old man smiled at her as she entered the shop. "Ah, Ky's girl, Komiko, was it? Now let's see that arm of yours, and take a good look at it in that mirror. Lie down and relax, this will take several hours and try not to flinch, it's going to hurt." Komiko appreciated that he didn't sugar coat the pain, she knew that the tattoo would hurt, but the pain was apart of the initiation..._

_Several teeth grinding hours later, Komiko sat up and looked in the mirror at her arm in awe. "I believe you are the most beautiful of the Misuto clan I have ever given that tattoo to. I'm honored to have been of service to you Komiko." The old man beemed with pride at his work. Wrapping her arm with a clear wrap, she couldn't take her eyes off of it. The dragon was almost all bright black, but the man had added in bright blue to some of the scales, but the most prominent blue was the dragon's eye on her upper left shoulder. Smiling a toothy grin, Komiko paid the man and thanked him, promising that her father would come by and visit him later. _

Reaching the town, Komiko lightly touched her covered arm, running her fingers over the tattoo she wore with pride. Once Mai had seen it, she immediately had her cover it up, not liking that it made her unique when she was only supposed to be a letter. Sighing softly, Komiko went to the small town's kimono shop. Giving the prestidious clan's name she waited for the small girl in charge of the shop to bring back the clothing in request. Turning her head to the window, Komiko saw a row of street merchants trying to sell their goods, families laughing and talking, fruit stands, and more. She longed for her freedom back more than anything, except perhaps her favorite sword, Ryukiba, or Dragon Fang.

"Here you are, little slave." The girl said to Komiko. Even here in town she was disregarded as a slave. Before she turned around she tried to quell the anger raging inside of herself, and as she looked at the girl she could tell the rage had not left her eyes, but she left with a simple thank you and walked outside. Deciding to roam around, checking to see that the time was only three o'clock, Komiko began exploring the town she had only twice been to before. After checking out a few shops, she went outside to a fruit stand.

The fruit here was odd, not like the fruit in The Hidden Mist, even though the two places were rather close together in proximity. As Komiko was wondering what could make the genetics of the fruits different in such short distances, she heard a high-pitched scream from a woman at the end of the marketplace. Heads began turning, and people closer to the noise began running away from the direction she was in. Loud yells and shouts caused the marketplace to become a chaotic scene. Komiko herself dropped the fruit back where she had picked it up and began running with the crowd away from the woman.

Cursing the chakra cuffs on her hands and the kimono she was carrying, she knew that she could have taken lowly nin out if she was without these burdens. Two men completely clothed from head to toe besides their eyes weren't only trying to rob the place, they were slaughtering civilians left and right. Komiko knew she was going to be killed if she didn't get into hiding. Outrunning others wouldn't work, it'd just make her an easier target since the ninja were mainly taking out people that ran away from the crowd instead of with it. Running into an alleyway as the crowd passed it, she snuck away from the mass of people, turning onto a street that was barren, she looked back to see if anyone was following her.

"Oof!" Komiko rammed into a wall full force. Groaning from the pain in her head, Komiko reached up with her left arm rubbing her forehead. Looking up, she saw that it wasn't a wall, but a man she had ran into, one of the bandits. Her breath hitched in her lungs, this man was huge, and she felt surely going to kill her. His short, black hair stuck up in odd angles, and white guaze covered most of his face, neck, and arms. Eyes with intent to kill looked down at her, and then he bent down, his black eyes mere inches away from her blue.

Grabbing her left arm, he rolled up the sleeve, looking intently at her family crest tattoo. His eyes widened with interest. It was then Komiko noticed the slashed Hidden Mist headband he wore on his forehead. This man looked so familliar, and as she looked him over again, she noticed the giant sword he carried in his right hand. "_Kubikiribocho!" _The name of the sword in the man's hand came to Komiko's mind, literally meaning Decapitating Carving Knife, recognizing it as one of her father's greatest and most powerful swords. "_That must mean this man is Zabuza Momochi..."_.

This particular sword was designed to decapitate the enemy, giving it another name, Danto, or Seversword, a brutal sword made in the heart of the time of The Bloody Mist. From experience, Komiko's father knew that in battle a sword didn't always last, so as a fail-safe he performed a jutsu on the sword as it was being welded, causing the sword to regenerate using the iron in blood that was shed on the sword, preventing one of his greatest creations from ever shattering. Some had said that the sword itself was made from a demon's blood, and could only be used by another demon thusly. Zabuza had made the perfect wielder for Kibikiribocho.

Memories flooded into her head of this man, and her heart began to pound as she thought of how deadly this man was, and how weak she had been left without her chakra and sword. Feeling frozen into place, Komiko felt helpless, hating the feeling of not being able to defend herself, she hadn't been raised to be a coward! She saw his eyes notice the chakra cuffs on her wrists, and placed his hands on one of them while the other hand was still on the tattoo of her left arm. Her eyes wide with fear, Zabuza stared at her, confusion displayed in his eyes while his hand was still grabbing her left arm, "Master Zabuza! Do we head to the Yatzuno manor?" One of the men shouted to him. As Komiko looked closer, she recognized his garb as that of The Demon Brothers.

Zabuza gave a grunt, seeming to be snapped out of his own memories, dropping her arm back to her and standing up straight once more. Still staring her straight in the eyes, he growled out in a low voice, "Fall back." The Demon Brother looked at him disappointed and was about to open his mouth again when Zabuza repeated himself with an even deeper growl, "Fall back! That's an order." Giving her a hard stare, Zabuza pulled Kibikiribocho out of the ground with a loud, metallic clang, and vanished in a cloud of mist, along with the two brothers.

It seemed that she had forgotten to breathe while being stared at by the Demon of the Mist. Questions flooded her brian concerning these bandits, and what they had to do with the Yatzuno family. If they killed civilians that easily, would they kill the family just as easy? Or perhaps the family had hired them themselves? Coming back to reality, and considering herself lucky to still be alive, Komiko moved her shaky limbs and looked up to the sky. The sun told the time to be almost five o'clock. Grabbing the kimono she had dropped on the floor, Komiko ran through the deserted streets in the town back to the manor. Mai was going to have her head if she was late...


	2. Captured

Luckily for Komiko, Mai had been preoccupied getting herself dolled up for the man who was to take her out tonight. She arrived huffing, out of breath from running her way back and away from the chaotic scene in the marketplace. The civilians had to be cornered by authority and calmed down, some of them had resorted to fleeing the town and were being searched for. Leaving the kimono with one of Mai's wardrobe attendants, C, Komiko made her way to her shared room.

Lying down on the floor, she began to think of Zabuza, and how long it had been since she had seen him. When they had met, she had been only fifteen, a year before she had received her family's crest tattoo. She doubted that he could have remembered her, seeing as her figure had filled out as a woman, grown a few inches to reach 5'8", and her left arm had been previously naked of any ink. Zabuza had looked confused, maybe noticing the resemblance to her younger self.

Being apart of the Misuto family, Komiko had met many swordsmen in her short life, but none that had captured her attention like Zabuza had. His strength and the aura that surrounded him made her look up to him in a way she couldn't quite describe. The swordsman was admirable as not only a shinobi, but a person as well. A sword did not make a man, but the sword helped a man gain a reputation.

Komiko knew he was a dangerous and wanted man now, but back then he had been a personal friend of the family. The slash on his forehead protector meant that he had gone rogue from the Hidden Mist, but why would someone held in such a high regard suddenly leave? She had heard rumors of a coup d'état, but she didn't want to believe that the man she had looked up to as a little girl would be capable of such things.

However, she would be lying if she said that overthrowing the Hidden Mist government had never crossed her mind. Rolling over on her side of the room, Komiko faced the wall and thought back to the day she had been captured and enslaved, remembering her father's shouts and protests all too well...

_A sixteen year-old Komiko padded along a snow-covered pathway, leaving her foot prints in the soft snow she adored so much. Winter had always been her favorite season, she loved the cold, and the cold loved her. The mist was the thickest, but she never feared it, she embraced it. As a fighter in the mist, she had learned to rely on feeling rather than sight._

_Making her way to her father's shop, she noticed the ANBU guarding the door, and rushed up to them. "What's going on here? Is my father all right?" Komiko demanded._

_"Are you his daughter?" One of the men asked. Komiko replied with a nod of her head. Quickly, the door was opened and she was shoved from behind into the shop, forced to her knees. Komiko's hands were quickly bound with thick rope. As she looked back to see who had pushed her, she noticed that two more men accompanied the first, along with five others in the shop._

_"What's the meaning of all of this? Where's my father!" Komiko yelled to all the ANBU in front of her. Soft footsteps came from the hallway, causing the entire party to look that way. "M-mizukage?" Stuttering from surprise, she wondered what business he had with her family, and why she was being treated this way when her family had never done anything to deserve such disrespect!_

_"I'm afraid your family is being detained, Miss Misuto. Being young and naïve as you are, you must have no understanding of what's going on. From now on, you will be sent to the Yatzuno clan, where you will serve. Heed my advice, and forget your life, who you are, and anything to do with swords." The Mizukage's stern words pierced Komiko's heart. How could she forget all the she knew? Why should she?_

_"This is an outrage! I demand to know what has happened here!" Trying to rise to her feet, Komiko was hit on the back of the head with something iron, blacking out immediately._

_As Komiko came to, she found herself outside, still on her knees, with guards surrounding her. It hadn't been a bad dream, she was living this. In front of her stood the Mizukage. "Ah, so you're awake. Now I need to make what I said earlier very clear to you dear, you must forget everything you knew, because there will be nothing of what you knew left. It's like it never existed."_

_In horror, Komiko saw a jounin she had been acquaintances with, Yarino Nako, begin to wield fire signs. "No! Yarino! Don't do this!" She swore she saw hesitation in Yarino's movements, but it didn't last long. The shop erupted into flames. "NO!" No no no no no no!" Komiko's eyes flooded with tears, and her throat constricted into a tight knot. Such cruelty, for what? What had her and her parents done to deserve this?_

_Seething with rage, Komiko's left arm began to burn as well. At first she had thought she was also going to be burned alive, but then she saw the faint blue and black glow of her tattoo. "Hurry! Knock her out again before it activates!" In a futile attempt, Komiko tried to lift herself up once more, but as she did so her vision began to fade, and then pain. All she could feel was horrible pain._

Since that moment, Komiko had felt nothing but emotional and physical pain for the past four years. Happiness didn't exist in her life, and neither had hope. Seeing Zabuza had made a glimmer of hope appear, perhaps because it was something that was once familiar in her life, swordsmen. Coming out of her thoughts, Komiko heard a ruckus outside. The other girls looked frightened in the room. "I'll go see what's going on, you all sit tight and stay here." They looked at her with thanks, she was the bravest out of all of them.

The rumor among the slaves in the manor was that a messenger from town had arrived, giving a letter to the Lord of the Yatzuno household stating that the large sword carrier and the two smaller bandits had escaped into the nearby forest. Nothing had been stolen, but a total of seventeen civilians had died in the onslaught. The worst part was that no one had a clue what they had been looking for, or which direction they would attack next.

After giving the news to the girls in her room, and assuring them that they would be safe as long as they stayed within the manor, Komiko left to slaves bathing area. She had been left dirty from the trip to and from town, and could use the relaxing water on her limbs, though it was always luke warm. Slaves didn't need hot water apparently.

The genders were separated by a rather large piece of wood, which had fallen over numerous times due to its flimsy appearance, and the fact that the slave men hadn't been with women since they arrived, and never would. Undressing and putting her green uniform down where she dipped in, she joined some of the girls she had befriended here, J, V, and O.

It was the one time that the slaves could relax, even if it was only for the allotted hour they had received to bathe. As they were speaking, a loud splash from the boy's side followed by an enormous wave knocking down the wood shocked all the women into running out of the baths and to their clothing. Some weren't as lucky and ran naked through the hallways to get to their rooms.

Grabbing her now soaked clothing, Komiko hurried and threw on her long-sleeved shirt and pants while she ran. Getting separated from the screaming girls, she ran into a narrow hallway the slaves usually used to get to and from the kitchens. She hoped screaming crowds wasn't becoming a routine thing in her life, or at least while she had these ugly chakra cuffs on. Looking back from where she had come from was a mistake. Standing in the hallway was a masked nin.

The mask the ninja wore had the mist insignia on the forehead, so was he friend, or foe? Taking a step towards Komiko, she took one step back. "What do you want? I have nothing to give. I'm a slave here, there's nothing I have to offer." Komiko said, attempting to put distance between herself and the masked nin. She knew if they had wanted to kill her, she'd be dead already.

"You do have something to give me. Your name." A soft voice came out from behind the white mask. Now she noticed that four red marks had also been made on the mask.

"Name? Well here I am known as K. But to the outside world, I am known as Komiko Misuto." Giving out one's real name here in the manor was punishable by death, but she figured she'd rather die by a ninja than a slave owner.

"Then you will come with me." Before Komiko could object, a needle was thrown into her neck, temporarily stopping her breathing. The masked ninja picked her up, and carried her out of the chaotic manor. Though the ninja had come alone, he knew how to make a memorable scene for the Yatzuno clan. Looking at Komiko, the masked ninja held sympathy in his eyes, he was no stranger to pain himself.

Through the mist, the masked ninja jumped with Komiko on his back, vowing that she would never again be prisoner to anyone, especially the Yatzuno. Making their way into the thick forest, the nin leaped through the trees, going towards a house shrouded in a mist that none could possibly see through. Opening the front door to the house, the nin placed Komiko on a couch gently.

"You'll be much happier here than there. I'll be right back." The soft voice whispered to the unconscious Komiko. Her neck had been relieved of the needles, allowing her to breathe regularly again. Feeling safe for the first time since she was young, Komiko drifted into a dreamless sleep, burying herself into the warm couch.


	3. Gozu and Meizu

Nuzzling into the soft cushions, Komiko opened her eyes slowly, becoming aware that she was on a couch. It felt so good to be lying on something other than a floor, surrounded by other women. For a moment she didn't care less that she didn't know where she was, and when was the last time she had been allowed to sleep on something so comfortable? She couldn't remember. What she did remember was the nin that had placed her here, but not the two men that were standing in front of her.

One sat on a table to the left of the other, who sat on the couch across from the one Komiko was lying on. The ninja on the table wore an enormous gauntlet on his right arm, complete with a sharp, glistening claw adorning his hand, while the man on the couch who appeared almost identical to the first had the same weapon on his left arm. Both had long hair and beady, black eyes. They looked familiar to her, and she noted them to be the two 'bandits' she had seen in the marketplace the day she had gone to get Mai's kimono.

Komiko noticed that the two ninja were connected together by a chain between each of their gauntlets, and both wore matching mist headbands. Their faces made them look younger than she was, perhaps in their teens. She couldn't help but think how she might know these two boys. "Who are you?" Komiko asked, groggy from her induced sleep. Reaching her hand up to feel her neck and try to understand why her body felt so incredibly exhausted, she recalled the needles in her neck, bringing her to her second question, "And where's the masked one?"

"Hear that Gozu? The masked boy she says." The man on the couch said, laughing as if what he said were funny. That laugh irked her; it just didn't settle right with her.

"Why would you want to know where he is girl? Haku isn't any fun. We should show her what real _fun_ is Meizu." The boy named Gozu replied. Now Komiko didn't know which was going to be more annoying, the laugh Meizu had, or the cocky attitude Gozu. She decided both of them needed a swift kick to the rear by whoever was in charge.

"_Gozu? Meizu?_" Komiko thought to herself. She knew these names from somewhere. "Ah! The Demon Brothers of The Mist!" She said aloud more to herself than to the brothers, feeling a little bit better that she did indeed recognize them from her father's Bingo book.

"Oh so you know of us? Well maybe since you know our names you wouldn't have a problem screaming them to us when we-"

A deep growl cut off Meizu's sentence. The entire room seemed to turn to ice as the brothers became dead silent. Their earlier arrogant expressions had been replaced with one of fear. Tracing their eyes to what they were looking at, she saw Zabuza standing near the couch she was on by the doorway.

A dark aura appeared to be rolling off his skin, stifling the air around him. His eyes glinted demonically while his body appeared to be relaxed. In such a disturbing situation, Zabuza was so eerily calm, merely making the brothers squirm by a look. To Komiko, this power he emitted was breathtaking.

"What was that you said to her, _Meizu_?" Zabuza practically spit out his name he was so livid. Komiko could only wonder why he would be so angry with them. She'd be in the right mind to think that he would've joined in with them.

"We were-uh- just saying how we could, er- what I mean is..uh-" Meizu tried coming up with an excuse, only to freeze, mouth still ajar, when Zabuza took a step forward, placing his right hand on Kubikiribocho's handle.

"Please Master Zabuza, my brother wasn't in the right state of mind!" Gozu pleaded, attempting to stall the swordsman into changing his mind, though he didn't dare move from his seat. "He didn't know what he was saying! If you like, I'll take him into the forest and make sure he atones for his sins?" He finished with a hint of hopefullness to his voice.

Komiko didn't dare get up from the couch just yet. If Zabuza and the Demon Brothers were occupied fighting each other, she would wait for the right opportunity to escape. The look Zabuza had in his eyes showed no signs of mercy, so she was surprised when he breathed out a low, "Go."

Gozu and Meizu showed no hesitation when leaving, almost running to the door where they stopped when Zabuza added, "Gozu, if I don't see claw marks on your brother's back when you come back, don't bother coming back at all. It'll be your heads. Now _go!_" The brothers were truly running to the forest now, fearing for their lives and not daring to disobey their master.

"Please Master, try to sit and calm down, I will bring the both of you tea. Komiko here looks ready to bolt." Came the soft voice she recognized from the previous day, or at least she hoped she had only lost a day in her dreamless sleep. The ninja with the mask, Haku, she realized. However this time the mask hung around his neck, so she was able to his face. He was so feminine she thought, wondering how such a soft spoken person could work for Zabuza. Haku looked so innocent, but she knew that it was probably what tricked most people. He had long, dark hair tied on each side of him, and a bun on the top of his head. Soft, brown eyes looked at her as he spoke to Zabuza.

Reluctantly, Zabuza listened to the boy, and sat on the couch Meizu had previously occupied. It amazed Komiko further that such a strong man listened to such a young boy. She wondered what Haku had done to earn such respect from his master. Even in the mist Zabuza had been reluctant to take orders from anyone, whether his own rank was above or below them. The few that he did take orders from without question were ninja who had earned their rank in battles, not politics.

Hearing Haku walk back in the room, she hadn't realized that several minutes had gone by. She must have been lost in her own thoughts. "Komiko, you may sit up if you wish. It would be easier to drink the tea that way." Unfreezing her limbs, Komiko sat up on the couch, not realizing how badly she had been clenching the cushions. Gratefully she took the tea, and was about to take a sip when she realized it could be poisoned.

Apparently noticing her sudden hesitation, Zabuza grunted, almost amused by her actions. Haku went over to her smiling, taking the cup lightly out of her hands and taking a sip of it. Again he placed the tea in Komiko's hands, trying to show her that he meant well.

Blushing slightly, she brought the cup to her lips and drank strongly. The warmth of the liquid seemed to flood her body. She didn't remember tea tasting this good, but then again she hadn't had it in years. Before Komiko knew it, she'd gulped all of it down already.

"Did they not feed you?" Komiko put down her cup, embarrassed to have been so sloppy in front of Zabuza. He looked at her again with that amused face. Back in the Yatzuno manor it was true that she was not well fed. Two very minimal meals had done her body a great deal of hurt, seeing as she had lost an excruciating amount of weight, and her body had almost lost it's fullness that she had once been praised for. Suddenly she realized what a mess she must look like to Zabuza and Haku.

"By the looks of her weight, and the whites of her eyes, I don't think they did fed her very well after all master." Haku replying to Zabuza's question. He had come up close to Komiko, examining her arms and legs with light finger touches, ending with his hands cupping her face to check her eyes.

"Get her food." Was his next command to Haku, who simply bowed his head and went into what she assumed to be the kitchen. Komiko looked around the house, trying to determine how large it might be. For just the two of them, it seemed to be at least two stories, and very spacious. Snapping her from her thoughts, she heard Zabuza say to her, "Your name is Komiko." Stating a fact that he already knew rather than asking her if it was true. "I have a job I need you for, so you will be staying her with Haku and I. In this down time that we currently are at the leisure of, you will heal from that disgusting manor full of pigs."

Although Komiko enjoyed how Zabuza thought of the Yatzuno family, it didn't mean she wanted to agree to the job he had for her, especially if those demon brothers would be around. Though he was an outlaw, the thought of working for someone who was against the Hidden Mist appealed to her. That, and the fact that she wouldn't be a slave any longer to retched Mei Yatzuno. Anything would be better than being a slave in that vile manor. For a moment she thought about the other poor servants she had left behind in the household. In defiance she said to the swordsman, "Then I have a few conditions that must be met."

Scoffing at her, Zabuza replied, "I hardly think you're in any condition to bargain with me in the state you're in, but go ahead and amuse me." Komiko swore she could see a smile forming under that mask, ever so slight. She hoped she would get what she wanted, though she knew it was a long shot with a man so brutal as he.

Getting heated from being talked down to, Komiko stated, "You will take these damned chakra cuffs off my wrists." Zabuza looked on lazily at the bright circles adorning her wrists. Standing up, he crossed the short distance to her. Her skin tingled from the close contact, his aura was intoxicating. The way it swirled and danced ever so lightly on top of his skin was beautiful. This was so dangerous, but so excited. The feeling of excitement had long eluded her grasp, and to feel it once again might just prove addicting.

"That was easy. Next." Dismissing Komiko's biggest problem as if it were nothing. In a swift movement with a hooked kunai he pulled out of his pocket, he had cut the cuffs. She wondered how it had been done so easily until she saw his same demonic energy surrounded the knife. "_It must make cutting through things all the more easy for him_," Komiko thought as she shivered.

Continuing as if he had genuinely showed interest in her predicament, "Two, I will not live here if the Demon Brothers will be here as well."

"Already done." Seeing her inquisitive look, Zabuza further explained, "They haven't lived here to begin with. In another, smaller house across the lake east of here is a cabin they reside in. I assume you're not done with your demands, right?" Komiko's face burned, but she couldn't decide if it was from the diction, or the way his voice sounded so gruff. So her first two demands had been much easier than she thought. Things were looking to be in her favor.

"Three," Pausing, she took a deep breath before she declared, "You will tell me everything you know about what happened to my parents."


	4. Dreaming

At first Zabuza looked at her like her head had been cut off, and then coming to he let out a laugh that sounded more like a bark. "Komiko." The way he said her name gave her chills, he had gone from laughing at her request to complete seriousness. Continuing he said, "This is not the appropriate time for this conversation, and I am not the person to tell you."

Outraged, Komiko's voice raised to a higher pitch, "So you do know but you won't tell me? Then you want me to work for you? You've got to be kidding!" Her teeth clench together in rage. She was so close to finding the truth, and the one person she had finally found who knew all the answers refused to give them to her!

"By working for me, the person you need to talk to will eventually meet with you. Patience." It was making her increasingly mad that Zabuza said everything to her so calmly, talking to her like a child.

"Patience? I've _had_ patience. I'm sick of waiting. How do I know that this is true? That I will indeed meet with them?" No one could blame her for being skeptical about Zabuza, he was after all a demon and a criminal.

Sighing, Zabuza said, "I have never done your family wrong. Take this as a thank you for helping your father with the idea of my sword." As he said it, he looked over to his Seversword. It was true, when the swords of this mist were being crafted she had taken part in naming and coming up with ideas as a young child for the swords. It was one of the reasons she had earned a respect from the swordsmen who the blades were given to.

Komiko realized that she had no choice whether or not to work for him, unless she wanted to die that is. Bargaining did make her feel better about this. She wasn't about to be slave to anyone again. "Fine. Now is there someplace I can wash up? I feel disgusting."

His eyes looked over her body, making her feel self-conscious. Why did she care what he thought of her body? Shaking her from her thoughts, he yelled out, "Ha-"

"Yes Zabuza?" Came Haku's cheery reply. In his hands were two plates of steaming, hot food. Komiko had been so caught up with talking to Zabuza she had forgotten he went to get them something to eat. Apparently so had Zabuza by the looks of it. He set the plates down in front of each of them. This meal looked like the best meal she would ever eat. It had been far too long since she had something decent. "Now if you want seconds Komiko there is some in the kitchen. It's time we got you healthier."

"Haku, get Komiko a bath started. She's filthy." Komiko's face burned with embarrassment. Maybe if she hadn't been a slave, she would have properly cared for herself. Haku nodded his head and bowed out of the room. Looking back to the food, Komiko's stomach growled so loudly even Zabuza heard it.

Raising his eyebrow in amusement, he unwrapped the gauze around his mouth, and began to eat. Komiko found herself trying not to stare at him. She had to admit to herself, he was handsome. He looked up at her and met her eyes. "It's not polite to stare."

Such a childish statement she thought. Before Komiko thought out a reply, she blurted out, "Doesn't it mean you were staring too if you were looking at me?" Biting her lip, she realized what she had just done. She was flirting with a demon.

Zabuza's eyebrow raised up. Shaking his head slightly, almost as if he were laughing, he returned to his food. Kicking herself mentally, she quickly finished her food and when Haku came back for her she was led to the bath.

Komiko couldn't remember how good hot water had felt. Truly hot water, not luke warm like when she was a slave. It felt so good to be free, well as free as she was. After soaking, she went back to the room she had eaten in with Zabuza. He looked up at her and said, "We will begin training tomorrow when you've had time to sleep. I suggest you sleep well because I wont go easy on you. Don't expect special treatment girl."

"I wouldn't dare." Came her reply. He grunted, satisfied with the answer, even if it had came out a bit cocky. She wondered what kind of training he would make her do. Komiko hoped she would get to use a sword again. How she missed using her sword. _"Where could Ryukiba be? When I was captured they had taken it off my holster on my hip. It's probably long gone."_ Komiko sadly realized. There was no way she was getting her beloved sword back.

Bidding him a good night, Haku showed her to her room. She knew that she shouldn't have been in such an awe, it wasn't huge but it was spacious. To her any room that she got to herself, even if it was a closet at this point was an upgrade. Komiko thought Haku wouldn't understand why she kept thanking him profusely. This was like a dream come true for her. She actually got a bed, and pillows!

"I'm glad you like it Komiko. I can't wait for you to be back at full health. You seem to get excited over the littlest things." Haku noticed.

"Well, when all you've had is crap, you'll think everything that you get is precious, right?" Komiko said. Haku looked at her with understanding in his eyes. She felt like there was going to be a lot in common between them. Komiko decided Haku was all right in her book.

"Goodnight Komiko." He said with a small smile. Before he could move, Komiko wrapped her arms around him in a bear hug. His body stiffened, he was shocked. Haku wasn't used to such affections, especially from a female figure. The last person to have hugged him was his mother. After a few seconds, he relaxed, and put his hands on the middle of her back.

Pulling away, she looked Haku in the eyes, saying, "Goodnight Haku, thank you so much." Komiko gave him a big smile, and walked away, sitting on the edge of her bed. Trying to get over his shock, Haku bowed slightly, and left. He didn't know how to process the hug.

Lying down on the soft mattress, as soon as her head hit the pillows, Komiko fell into a fitful sleep. The bed was unbelievably comfortable. She felt as if she were floating...

_Walking down the hallway in the house covered by mist, she went to the living room. Komiko looked around, but couldn't find what she was looking for. Searching high and low, there was nothing there that she wanted. _

_Continuing on to the next room, there sat Gozu and Meizu. Still, it wasn't what she had been wanting to see. Disregarding them, they vanished, and she was left with another empty room._

_What was it that she was looking for again? She couldn't recall._

_Room after room was searched, and to Komiko's dismay she couldn't find that thing she was looking for, but she knew when she saw it, she'd be complete. With renewed determination, she continued on her journey. Maybe what she wanted wasn't inside, but outside?_

_Opening the large, wooden door, Komiko stepped outside into the thick mist. She couldn't see her hand in front of her, so she relied on touch and sound. Walking for what felt like hours, she finally heard the sound of footsteps._

_Maybe she had been wrong. It was not an it she looked for, but perhaps a who._

_From her training as a girl, she knew how to judge distance from objects and people in the mist. The who was a mere ten feet in front of her. Was this who she had been looking for? Yes. She felt a pull towards them, so strong her body might have begun to float in that direction._

_An aura so thick and intoxicating wrapped around her body. The tips of her toes touched the tips of their toes. They were much larger than hers. Two muscular arms reached out and wrapped around her lithe frame. Her head nuzzled into a built chest, and hands reached out to feel a toned back._

_Reaching with one of their hands, they tilted Komiko's face up. The mist still so thick, she couldn't make out his face, but that was ok, she enjoyed a mystery. Knowingly though, without seeing what she knew to be a man now, she reached up to his face, and felt wrap. With her delicate fingers, she began to undo his gauze._

_Smiling when it was finished, she ran her fingers first over his cheeks, and then grazed them to his lips. She felt them pull up ever so slightly into a smile. How Komiko loved that smile. Giggling a little, he leaned down, and brushed his lips to her. Not once, but twice, until the third time his lips captured hers._

_Komiko's heart pounded, faster and faster, until it felt like it was going to explode within her chest..._

Bolting upright in bed, Komiko clutched her heart with her hand. Why had she dreamt about him that way? Everything had felt so real, so vivid! Stupid, bed time fantasies. What a dumb dream.

Looking outside of her window, she saw the sun coming up over the horizon. With a huff, she threw herself back down onto the bed. Komiko didn't dare fall asleep again though, she refused any chance of continuing her dream of Zabuza. She had known she found him attractive, but her mind had taken it too far.

Groaning, she realized how awkward she was going to feel around him for training this morning. The close proximity wasn't going to help her perverse mind stop thinking of him. Trying to relax herself, she took deep breaths and began to get dressed. Haku must have left her new clothes in the middle of the night, because there was a brand new outfit for training. Complete with gauze, and metal plates for her elbows, knees, and chest.

Komiko found herself wondering if Zabuza would notice her new attire. Pinching herself for the thought, Komiko walked out of her room to go wait in the living room for him to come get her. With reluctance, she sat down on the couch and thought, _"This is going to be a long day..."_


End file.
